The Silver-haired Saviour
Elizabeth Dunk
Maria thought she was coming to Sydney to surprise her fiancé, but it turns out she was coming to Sydney to find out the truth and change her life forever…
The Silver-haired Saviour matches the style and tone of The Lies We Tell, published by Escape Publishing in August 2013.
The sun had risen, the sky was blue, ferries were shuffling in and out of the terminals and people moved past. Some rushed, suits and jackets on, either on their way to or from work. Some ran, getting in the daily exercise. Some ambled, looking around, enjoying the incredible sights and sounds of Circular Quay, Sydney.
Maria Teroso looked at her watch. Seven am. Had she really sat here, wrapped in her misery, uncaring of anything, for nine hours? It seemed just a heartbeat ago that she’d been at the hotel door, sliding the card into the lock. Putting her bags by the door, tiptoeing through the dark apartment—it was nearly ten, and it looked like Bob had already gone to bed. Good, just the place she wanted him.
Then she was pushing open the bedroom door and seeing Bob, on his back. A blonde on top of him. The movements of their bodies, the sounds, the smells making it very clear what they were doing.
A veil of blankness settled on her eyes but Maria pushed it away. No, she’d already lost nine hours. She wasn’t going to lose any more. She was going to face the fact she’d caught her fiancé in bed with another woman and then she was going to work out what the hell she was going to do to fix her broken life.
A tear dribbled down her cheek and she pushed it away. She couldn’t cry out here, sitting on a bench on Sydney Harbour. She stood, and realised she didn’t have anything with her. Handbag, suitcases, everything was still up in Bob’s room, left in the wake of her devastated flight from the room.
The tears started in earnest.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Maria turned around. A woman stood at the potted plants that marked the entrance to the outdoor dining section of one of the cafes. She was small, dark-haired with piercing blue eyes.
Maria hated that she was in this position. She was a successful businesswoman, ran her own conference organising company. She’d just triumphantly completed a five day medical conference for nine hundred people. But she had no other option, nowhere else to turn. “My handbag is in the hotel room of my cheating fiancé and I don’t know what to do.”
“You need a good cup of coffee. Come in.”
Maria took a hesitant step forward. Her back ached from sitting on the bench all night. The offer of a coffee was tempting. “Your boss won’t mind?”
“I am the boss. Come in.”
Wow. The woman was young, and cafes on this stretch of water were at a premium. She was doing well.
As Maria approached, the woman held out her hand. “I’m Nix.”
Maria looked at the cafe sign. Cafe Nix. “I’m Maria.”
“Come in and I’ll get you that coffee.”
Nix led Maria through the outdoor tables into the main part of the cafe. It was very modern—white tables, steel and black chairs, but the walls were wooden cabinets showing off wines and sheaves of wheat and displays of fruit and vegetables. The air was redolent with coffee beans roasting and bread baking. It was simple, but classy.
Maria sank into one of the tables against a black upholstered bench seat and relaxed back with a moan. She closed her eyes and listened to clangs in the kitchen as the chefs started preparations for the day’s meals.
A cough, and Maria opened her eyes. Nix was standing there with a tray. “Coffee, milk, sugar, make it how you like. Which hotel is the cheating bastard boyfriend staying in?”
“The Q, next door.” Maria picked up the cup and lifted it to her nose, taking a deep breath. There was something about a great coffee that could, in that moment, make all your troubles melt away. She took a sip and her eyes widened at the unmistakable bitterness of alcohol.
Nix winked. “Don’t tell anyone, but I added a little kicker. You needed it. I know the concierge at the Q. Let me get your things for you. Cheating bastard’s name?”
It froze on Maria’s tongue for a moment. “Robert Sampson.”
“I’ll look after it. You relax.” Nix walked away.
Maria took another sip of the very naughty, very welcome liqueur coffee. It was nice to know there were still good people in the world.
The cafe began to fill. A mix of all the types she’d seen outside—businesspeople, exercisers, tourists. One businessman who came in caught Maria’s eyes—there was no way he couldn’t, he was absolutely gorgeous. He was tall, with silver hair, but his face was still strong and unlined. The suit showed wide shoulders, strong chest and a flat stomach. Bet he’s as much a bastard as Bob, Maria thought.
How had she not seen he was cheating on her? The answer came immediately—Bob just hadn’t been that much into sex, so it had never occurred to her he would cheat. But that meant… It wasn’t sex Bob had a problem with, it was sex with her.
Oh, God.
“Here you go.” Nix appeared by her table. Two young waiters put down her suitcases—one carry-on, one huge hard case that contained a lot of the equipment for the conference. Nix put Maria’s handbag on the bench next to her.
“Thank you.” Maria pulled the handbag onto her lap and clutched it. Amazing how such a small thing could become so important.
“Pleasure. And don’t even think of paying for that coffee—it’s on the house.” Nix nodded and shooed the waitstaff away.
There and then, Maria determined to do what she could for Nix. Okay, so she wouldn’t pay for the coffee, but she was in events, had contacts throughout Australia. She’d make sure anyone organising a dinner or cocktail evening in Sydney would consider Cafe Nix for the venue.
In the past, this was something she would have talked over with Bob. That had been the thing she’d liked most about their relationship, that she could get home from work and have a glass of wine and talk about the business with someone who understood. Someone who shared her passion for success. Luigi, bless his heart, hadn’t cared one jot. He’d nod and smile and wish her well, but the conversation would go no further. Whereas she and Bob could talk for hours about how to deal with the latest financial opportunity, or what to do to market the business better.
She hadn’t just lost a fiancé last night—she’d lost a real partner, a friend. But a friend wouldn’t do that to someone, so had Bob ever been her friend?
Her stomach growled and she considered ordering breakfast—surely Nix would let her pay for that. Then she looked to her right, out toward the dockside where people were entering, and every part of her froze.
Bob sauntered in through the plants, the blonde on his arm. Maria hadn’t noticed last night how young she was—early twenties, she’d guess, while Bob was closer to fifty. Slender—not a hint of the curves that Maria boasted.
They walked through the restaurant, heading straight for the counter, so they didn’t see Maria. When they passed, Maria let out a loud expulsion of breath, stunned to find she’d been holding it.
Then panic rose. She needed to leave. Right now, before they saw her. She snatched up her handbag and stood. But how was she going to surreptitiously sneak out of here when she had two suitcases to move?
“Don’t.”
Maria’s head whipped up and she stared at the gorgeous, silver-haired businessman. He was standing on the other side of her table and the look he was giving her—compassion? Pity?
“Don’t?”
The man leant forward and whispered, “Don’t run away just because he’s walked in. I did it once and regretted it. Stay. Show you’re the stronger, better person.”
To her amazement, he pulled out the chair and sat. At her table. Feeling a little ridiculous, Maria thumped back down onto the seat.
“You don’t understand,” she whispered.
“I do. I saw the look on your face when he walked in and I recognised it. It was the same look I had when I was sitting in a restaurant six months ago and saw my ex-girlfriend walk in with my best friend, the man I’d caught her cheating on me with. The thing is, I got up and left, and for weeks she crowed about how hung up I was on her and how she’d destroyed me, and that had been true, but I wanted to put her behind me and I couldn’t because the talk was all over town. Even had a minimal impact on my business. Now, I can’t take away the hurt you’re feeling right now, but I can stop you from inflicting that additional humiliation on yourself.”
“Your best friend?”
The man nodded. “I got home early from a business trip, looking forward to relaxing in her arms, only to find her arms already full. I was thinking of asking her to marry me. That was a lucky escape.”
“We are engaged. Were engaged.” A part of Maria’s mind was wondering why she was telling a complete stranger this, but her heart needed the comfort of sharing with someone who would understand. “I organise conferences and I was flying from the Gold Coast back to Canberra, where we live. When we got to Sydney, I made the decision not to keep going. Bob was here on business. I hadn’t seen him for a week, and I wouldn’t see him for another. So I thought screw the cost. I got my bags off the plane and came here to surprise him.” Her voice faltered, and then stopped.
The man put his hand on hers and the warmth was delightful. “Say no more. I can imagine and, I have to say, he was an idiot to choose that over you.” He jerked his head to where Bob and the girl stood, arms around each other, waiting for their coffee.
“That’s very kind of you,” Maria said.
“Don’t dismiss my words. I mean it. She’s all angles and bones. Who would want to hold that? Whereas there’s not a man alive who wouldn’t want to hold you.” His eyes drifted over her body and despite the nightmare she was in, a thrill ran through her. “And I’m not just saying that to make you feel better. Why do you think I was able to notice the look on your face? I’ve been staring at you. Trying to decide which line would be the best to approach you with.”
Maria blushed. Her husband, Luigi, bless his soul, had told her so every day until the cancer finally took him. When she’d finally opened her heart again, there had been Bob, although now she thought on it, he’d never actually complimented her looks. He’d been all about her intelligence, her business savvy, how much he admired her. Now she had to wonder if he’d ever been attracted to her and if not, had they actually been in love…
She pushed that aside. Conversation with this silver-haired Casanova was much more exciting than her memories. “Did you make a decision?”
“I was wavering between a simple ‘Hi’ and ‘Please tell me you’re from around here so we can make plans for dinner’ when I saw horror flash your face, saw who you were looking at, figured what it was about and realised I had to come save you.”
“I’m glad you did and for the record, you should have gone with ‘Hi’.”
“In that case…” He grinned and Maria’s heart gave a little flip, while other parts of her body tingled. “Hi, I’m Adam Robinson.”
“Maria Teroso.” She would have shaken his hand, but it was still trapped beneath his. And she liked it.
“So, what’s a gorgeous woman like you doing sitting all alone in a cafe at seven in the morning?”
“Really? Having gone with the simple elegance of ‘Hi’, you’re going to follow up with that?”
“Good point.” He paused a moment, obviously considering his next words. “So, what do you do, Maria?”
Maria smiled. So, he wanted to play that they’d never had any previous conversation? “I organise conferences. You?”
“I’m in finance. Organising conferences must be a stressful job.”
“It can be. But the moment when the conference is on, and you see all the delegates getting involved, enjoying it, learning, networking, and you realise you made that happen—that makes all the stress worthwhile. Finance isn’t exactly a stress free job.”
“Finance can be a fickle mistress, but one I cannot leave.” At the word mistress, Maria’s eyes flicked to Bob and his girl. They had their coffee but were holding them away from their bodies while attempting to suck each other’s face off.
“Sorry,” Adam said. “Bad choice of words.”
Maria looked back at him. “No, I have to get used to it. Either he picked her up between flying in yesterday morning and having meetings in which case he’s a total sleazeball, or he’s been seeing her every time he came to Sydney and I’m an idiot.”
“Oh, he’s definitely a sleazeball, but you’re not an idiot. You trust with your whole heart. That’s important in a relationship.”
Maria’s gaze slid to Bob. “I’m not sure I’ll trust again.”
Adam squeezed her hand, drawing her attention. “Not all men are like Bob, or my best mate. Some of us would never dream of hurting someone we care about.”
“Luigi certainly wouldn’t have.” A soft smile curved her lips.
“Luigi?”
“My husband. He died six years ago of cancer.”
“Maria, I’m so sorry.” Adam lifted her hand and clasped it in both of his. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to nurse the person you love through that.”
“Luigi made it easy. To the end, his love of life and laughter never faded. The day he died, we were laughing as hard as we did the day we married.” Maria sighed. “I was a fool to think I could find that again.”
“Don’t think like that. I’d hate to think you’d live the rest of your life never being loved.”
He sounded so sincere, it warmed Maria’s heart. “When you put it like that, I’d hate it too.”
Adam leant forward and grinned, and there was something a little animalistic in his look that made Maria’s mind lose track of where it was. “So let’s see if we can’t think of who you could possibly explore finding this great new love with.”
“Mr Robinson. How wonderful to bump into you like this. My name is Robert Sampson and I work in finance, like you. I’ve been hoping we would meet.”
Maria stared, open-mouthed, at the apparition by the table that was her ex-fiancé. Bob was looking at Adam—he either hadn’t seen her, or was ignoring her. The blonde stood a few steps back, eyes moving from Bob to Adam and back assessingly.
Adam looked up at Bob. “Have you?” he drawled in a voice that clearly said, to Maria, go away.
Bob obviously didn’t hear it. “I run Sampson and Associates, in Canberra. We’re starting to move into some interesting clientele—government, you know—and I’m looking for partners here in Sydney. I think Robinson Financial Services and SAA would be a great fit. How about I buy you a coffee and we can discuss it?”
Maria had heard that tone in Bob’s voice before. Toadying. Ingratiating. Wheedling. He always turned that tone on when he was approaching someone who was bigger and better than him. Someone who he hoped he could hook up with to pull his struggling financial consultancy along.
Then she realised—when they’d first met, he’d used that tone with her. She’d been flattered, and intrigued, by him and his blatant confidence and when he’d suggested they have dinner together, she hadn’t hesitated in saying yes. He was nothing like Luigi, but that didn’t mean there was anything wrong with him. But looking back, it was now clear there hadn’t been anything romantic in their initial discussions at all—he’d seen her merely as someone to help him with his business. She was more successful and she was part of the inner circle of Canberra business that he dreamed of. It was only when other people had started commenting on them being a couple that he’d made any romantic overtures to her.
Lord—had their entire relationship been built on his desire to use her business connections to improve his?
Adam narrowed his eyes, then looked at Maria. “What do you think, Maria? Should I let him buy me a coffee?”
Bob’s head snapped sideways and he stared at her. What was that expression on his face? Horror? Anger? Surprise? “Maria?”
Maria turned her gaze from Bob to Adam, who was watching her quizzically. “What do you think?” Adam said again.
That Bob had used that tone on Adam told Maria that Adam was probably a pretty big fish in the financial services pond. Adam should know something of the man proposing a business deal with him.
“Did you know,” Maria said, “that when I walked in the room last night, Bob actually said ‘This isn’t what it looks like’. I’m still trying to work out what else it could have been. They were both naked and she was riding him like a bronco.”
“Wow, that’s an insult to your intelligence,” Adam said.
Bob made a terrible choking sound. Maria ignored him. “That’s what I thought. Now, it’s up to you whether you want to do business with a person that can so misjudge another person’s intelligence—”
“Maria!” Bob’s shout came out with a squeak. “Can we talk?”
Maria glared up at him. “No, we can’t.” She looked back at Adam. “I’d do some study of his company before you meet if I were you. I know nothing about this move into interesting clientele he is talking about and as of—” She looked at her watch, “—nine and a half hours ago, I was his fiancée and we shared a bookkeeper so I know a lot about his business.” She smiled at Bob. “Actually, I think you’ll need to do something about that. Helga can’t work for both of us, and I’m willing to bet she’ll choose me rather than you. Particularly as I’ve been paying the bill for us both.”
It was glorious, watching the shock, then the pain, then the terror pass over Bob’s expression.
He turned to Adam. “Mate, you can’t listen to her. Maria and I broke up a few weeks ago, and she’s taken it really badly. She’s been badmouthing me, stalking me. She turned up at my hotel room last night, for goodness sake. Let me get you that coffee, and I can tell you about my portfolio and you’ll see SAA is well worth the investment.”
By the end of his little speech, Maria’s eyes were so wide with astonishment that they hurt. “You liar!”
She looked at Adam and he looked thoughtful, pensive. No, she thought. He believes Bob. What will I do?
Adam nodded, as if he’d reached a decision, then stood. He was several inches taller than Bob, and the other man was forced to look up and concede the ground.
When Adam spoke, his words were devastating. “In the last three financial quarters, SAA has made a loss. There’s been two dozen complaints lodged against you with the financial services ombudsman since the beginning of the financial year. I’m guessing that if you don’t get some financial input from a partner in the next few weeks, you will have to file for bankruptcy and you’ll never be able to work in the industry again. There’s no doubt in my mind that you’re incompetent—I’ve yet to find the evidence to prove that you’ve broken the law, but I’m sure I will. Neither I, nor any other company in the industry, will touch you.”
By the end, Bob had slumped into the chair of the table behind him. “How…how do you know all that?”
Adam sat. “When you first requested an interview with me, I had you investigated. I’ve just given you all the reasons I said no to that first request, and the subsequent three requests. It’s why I’m saying no to you now as well, although I had to give Maria the chance to hurt you the way you hurt her last night. Don’t for one minute think I believe the slander you just made against her and if I hear you repeat that to anyone, not only will I encourage her to sue you for everything, but I’ll bankroll the suit.” Adam turned to Maria. “If you don’t mind, while I’m sure your bookkeeper is excellent, I’d like to recommend someone in Canberra to go through all your finances and make sure this toad hasn’t ripped you off.”
“Thank you,” Maria said, “although I think I’d prefer you do it.”
Adam shook his head. “I don’t think that would be wise. We shouldn’t start a business relationship when I’d much rather start a more personal one.”
With that, the last pain of Bob’s betrayal melted away and Maria was left with nothing but the certainty that she wanted to get to know Adam Robinson much, much better.
“A very prudent decision, Mr Robinson,” she said.
“I’m glad you agree, Ms Tesoro.” Adam glanced at Bob. “Can you leave please? I’d like to get on with seducing Maria and it’s difficult with her ex-fiancé sitting next to us.”
Bob stumbled to his feet and looked around. Maria noted that at some point during the conversation, the blonde had left. Perhaps when she heard of the dire financial straits Bob was in.
Maria watched the man she had planned to marry walk out of the cafe, shattered and broken. She tried to feel some sympathy for him but couldn’t muster it. He’d been a bastard, through and through. He deserved nothing from her.
“Now, where was I…” At the sound of Adam’s voice, Maria turned her attention back to him. He picked up her hand and started to stroke it and shivers of pleasure moved through her body. “Ah, that’s right. Please tell me you’re from around here so we can make plans for dinner.”
Maria laughed. Maybe she wouldn’t spend the rest of her life unloved after all.
About The Lies We Tell by Elizabeth Dunk
Ten years ago, Todd Lansing stood over his father’s grave, his heart thumping out curses on Sia Collins for causing his death. When he returns to Oberon and sees Sia again, his heart thumps with a different emotion, one he fights with all the anger he still feels.
Sia didn’t commit the break-in that ended up killing Mr Lansing, but to admit that would send her father to jail. She has rebuilt her life in the small town, atoned for her accused crime, and carved out a niche using her talent with paint to reach out to the community, raise funds, and support her family.
When Todd finds out the truth, he can’t understand why Sia won’t speak out and clear her name, and it threatens to tear them apart. With her relationship with Todd on the line, will Sia choose loyalty or love?